


When Hell Freezes Over

by Souless_Robot



Series: Highway to Hell [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angels, Christmas Cookies, Demons, Established Relationship, Fluff, Holidays, M/M, Multi, Nephilim Joey Wheeler, Seto Kaiba is a softy, Snow, Vampire Kaiba Seto, Vampires, Violetshipping, implied ettushipping, puppyshipping - Freeform, ygocollablove
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28423563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Souless_Robot/pseuds/Souless_Robot
Summary: It wasn't exactly in Seto Kaiba's plans to spend the holiday season playing bodyguard for his Nephilim partner but somehow that's where he ends up. In between baking, flirting and the weather it seems the universe might be making it up to him.AKA Seto Kaiba may have fallen hard without even noticing and this time Mai isn't around to blame his sentiments on.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto/Kujaku Mai | Mai Valentine
Series: Highway to Hell [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081382
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15
Collections: KC Winter Cup 2020





	When Hell Freezes Over

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cleopatra (empressofthelight)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressofthelight/gifts).



> This one is for you Cleo! I hope that you don't mind that a slipped a little ettushipping in here. I really couldn't stop Mai I read your prompt about watching snow fall and my brain ran away with it! Happy New Year love you! :)

Mai was gone. She’d gotten a summons from hell and with a promise to be back as soon as she could she flittered off to her fiery home to deal with whatever the issue was. Seto wasn’t worried, not really, at the end of the day Mai was a millennium-old Archduke of hell that made his abilities look like parlor tricks. No, he wasn’t worried; he was annoyed. She’d been gone for a week and here he was stuck puppy-sitting right before yule. 

There was a loud crash from the general direction of the kitchen followed by a volley of swearing. He sighed, speaking of the puppy. Seto tried to ignore the cursing and opened another email. He typed idly at his laptop responding to the slim number of emails in his inbox, even running a multinational company at this time of year was slow with so many of his employees taking time off to spend with their families. Today they were in one of his penthouse apartments in Manhatten and not Wheeler’s small run-down closet —Seto refused to call it an apartment— in Brooklyn. His heat only worked half the time and Joey never took off his overcoat in his apartment. 

The blond was many things but stubborn was at the top of the list. If Seto demanded he stay over or even offered to let him move in he would turn his nose up and refuse. He was much too prideful. It was something they both had in common. So to get what he wanted he had to be strategic: leave little hints about how his apartment was empty with both Mai and Mokuba gone; how with the salt coated streets and sidewalks this time of year made travel painful for a vampire; how when Joey mentioned baking he mentioned that his kitchen was fully stocked and rarely used. If Joey knew what his game was he never mentioned it and that was fine with Seto. 

His sensitive nose picked up the scent of something burning along with a briny smell. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to avoid the inevitable. He should have known it was a mistake to leave Joey alone in the kitchen. The blond had gotten in his mind to make holiday cookies and Seto had used his fully stocked kitchen as a lure to get the Nephilim to stay at his place. It was stupid and really for being nearly a thousand years old, it was naive because if there was one absolute truth in the universe it was that Joey Wheeler always found trouble. That was why Mai had made him swear to check in on their partner at least once a day. He gently closed his laptop and set it on the couch next to him and prowled towards the kitchen. 

Joey was waving an oven mitten over a smoking tray of cookies, coughing as the burning smell permeated the air. Seto hissed and quickly moved his sleeve up to cover his nose before stalking to the stove and turning the fan on before continuing to the window and forcing it open. The frigid air rushed in taking the edge off of the burnt sugar smell. 

“Hey, so what are the chances you think that cookies are supposed to look like this?” 

The blackened ash mounds of humanoid little figures stared up at him. Their gumdrop eyes were half-melted onto the cookie tray below them. 

“Can I let you out of my sight for one minute without you getting into mischief?” 

The Nephilim raised one eyebrow, “I dunno, can you? Mai and you are the ones that are on this whole shtick that I’m some delicate flower that can’t be left alone.” 

Seto felt his fangs drive into his lower lip as he ground his teeth. This was a long-standing argument between the three of them. He opened his mouth to remind the Nephilim exactly what happened last year when he felt a peculiar taste on his tongue. He paused and breathed in again. It was just faintly familiar. 

“Is that- Did you put blood in these cookies?”

“Yup,” Joey popped the last syllable as he stared at the burned cookies, “They were for you and Mokuba and your coven or whatever you call them after all. Want to try one?” 

Seto was taken aback. No one had ever made his cookies before. Granted he didn’t really eat solid food much as it didn’t give his species nutrients. He took in Joey’s appearance. He had frosting smeared across his apron and flour dusting his nose. His caramel colored eyes were staring up at him imploringly. Damn, how did the half-angel learn to make his face look like that? Seto hastily broke eye contact before his mouth betrayed him. He took one more look at the pathetic cookies again and made his decision. 

“I would rather be burned alive at the stake again.” 

“Aww, c’mon your highness.” 

Seto felt his fangs elongate at the pet name as Joey gave him a knowing smirk. 

“You’re really breaking my heart here.” The blond grinned and fluttered his eyelashes. 

“If I eat those I think I’ll break more than my heart. I wouldn’t want you crying at my funeral.” 

Joey rolled his eyes and turned to start scrapping his cooking mishap into the garbage, “Yeah, we both know you wouldn’t stay dead. If you didn’t get up just to spite me, Mai would drag your sorry ass out of hell anyway.” 

“Glad to know that I will apparently never be able to look forward to resting in peace,” Seto said dryly. 

The blond laughed and set down the cookie sheet. He slid closer, pressing their bodies together, “I think we both know you never want to ‘rest in peace’.” With that Joey reached up and tugged on the collar of his dress shirt, forcing Seto’s head down. Joey’s lips wasted no time in finding his. It was fierce and Seto used his height to push the blond back into the counter using the smaller man’s slight gasp as he hit the marble to latch onto his bottom lip. He gave it a quick nip before releasing the blond. 

Joey was flushed a delightful pink from the tips of his ears all the way to his neck. There was a slight golden glow on his skin from his angelic grace. Seto was sure if he started undoing buttons the gold would deepen. His eyes lingered on the other man’s neck he could hear the blood thrumming in his veins. He leaned down the blond’s soft hair tickling his nose. He heard Joey’s breath hitch in anticipation. Seto paused millimeter’s away from his ear as he whispered, “Sorry no treats for little angels until after they clean up their messes.” 

He felt the blond shiver beneath him before he stepped away letting out a chuckle as he prowled to the other side of the kitchen island. He watched Joey’s emotions flip across his face from aroused to disbelief to irritation. 

“Asshole,” Joey grumbled. 

Seto smirked pleased with himself until he realized that Wheeler’s little game left him covered in baking debris. He inspected his Egyptian cotton blue dress shirt. It would have to be dry cleaned. 

“Upon occasion. Well, I suppose I need to shower and change my clothes you could join me after you’re finished cleaning.”

“No thanks, you sadistic bloodsucker, and don’t think I’m gonna forget about this the next time you need to eat. You can starve for all I care!” Seto found himself on the receiving end of a wagging finger as Joey began mopping the mess of flour from the counter. 

“I thought you were baking me blood cookies.” 

“Not after that. I’m giving them all to Mokuba!” 

Seto huffed but found his way to his shower. It wasn’t his fault. It was fun pressing Wheeler’s buttons and compared to their rocky relationship when they met several years ago this was downright domestic. If you asked anyone centuries if it was possible for the No Life King to settle down they likely would have asked if you were a witch and set the Spanish inquisition on you. Thank god for the twenty-first century and the decline of the church. Seto ran a towel through his wet hair before making his way back into the main apartment living room. 

The kitchen light was flipped off and Joey was curled up under the couch blanket watching the news.

“All done playing baker then?” Seto set the towel around his shoulders before something shimmered outside. He ignored Joey’s snide response as he moved closer to the balcony to get a better look. “Is that…”

“Snow!” Joey whooped, nearly tripping over the blanket in his rush to get over to the balcony door. He took a moment to jostle the handle before he figured out how to slide the door open. A rush of cold air filled the room along with a swirl of snowflakes. The blond was already stepping outside barefoot. 

“Wait featherbrains- at least put shoes on!” Seto said grabbing his partner’s arm and trying to drag him back in. Joey was laughing. The corners of his eyes wrinkled up in childish delight as a light dusting of snow began to stick to the city. The white flakes drifted gently down sticking in his hair. The Nephilim was glowing gently in happiness the snow in the sky reflecting his light. 

Seto’s breath caught in his throat. He was beautiful. 

Joey allowed him to guide him inside. He didn’t even wait to dust the snowflakes out of his hair before he was darting towards the door, grabbing his coat and scarf as he went, “C’mon Kaib’ get your coat on let’s go to the park. I want to build a snowman.” 

He scoffed and looked down at his silken robes crossing his arms over his chest, “There’s not enough snow to build a snowman.”

“Not with that attitude you bloodsucker. C’mooooonnn!” The blond whined, “It’s the first snow of the season it’s speccialll. If Mai was here she’d make you go.” 

Seto sighed and headed back to his bedroom to get dressed. For his pride’s sake, he’s going to pretend he can’t see Joey fist-pumping the air from the hallway mirror. 

The walk to the park is peaceful. The snow is coming down harder now and he can see it forming little clumps on Joey’s red hat. The blond is in a good mood waving to everyone they pass and getting suspicious looks from everyone they pass. Seto gives them a severe scowl to make up for it and this seems to satisfy the other New Yorkers. 

As soon as they reach the park Joey promptly runs through the untouched snow on the ground and proceeds to flop over on the ground and wiggle. He really is like a puppy sometimes. 

He looks down at his partner with a judgemental stare, trying to get across exactly how immature and stupid he thinks the Nephilim is being in this moment. 

Joey sits up and grins at him. His nose is rosy from the cold air, “I’m a snow angel! Get it?” 

Seto scoffs and tightens the scarf around his neck. 

“Don’t be such a spoilsport your kingliness!” Joey smiled wolfishly his hand reaching down for a fistful of snow. 

**_“Don’t you dare think about it Wheeler.”_ ** The vampiric command slips into his voice without a seconds hesitation. Joey freezes for barely half a second and damn if he isn’t getting a better hang of his angelic abilities. 

“Well, Seto now I feel like I really have to do it!” Then he springs up and grabs onto him like a monkey. 

Seto finds a fistful of snow roughly shoved down the back of his coat. He shimmies vigorously and shakes the bottom of his coat watching a glob of snowfall out the bottom. It feels very uncouth. He’s the King of Vampires no one should dare! His eyes narrow on the back of Wheeler’s shrinking jacket. At least the culprit had enough sense to be scared. 

“Wheeler! I’m going to drain you like a bloodbag!” Seto rages and takes off after the already running villain. Joey has his head thrown back and he’s laughing. Seto doesn’t even feel bad about using his vampiric speed to appear in front of the blond and grab him using his full weight to wrestle him into the nearest snowbank. 

One justified whitewashing later and they're sitting on a park bench. Seto’s willing to bet that Wheeler’s soaked with his naturally warmer body temperature melting the snow around them. That’s not a problem Seto has but they should still probably head home before Joey ends up with a cold. He can’t even imagine how terrible a sick Joey would be compared to the normal one. Not to mention Mai would come home and give him an earful if that happened. 

Still, it’s peaceful now; they can wait for a moment longer. 

The snow is falling in big fat flakes now. When they’d left his apartment there was barely a white dusting on the ground but by the time they’d made it to the park there was nearly three centimeters and the shower showed no signs of stopping. 

“It’s beautiful.” Joey glowed softly as he looked up at the sky. His smile was barely there but it was one of his rare thoughtful ones. Seto had started making a catalog of Joey’s expressions since Mai and him first came across the blond in that hotel room. He had hundreds filed away in his mind but the chapter on his smiles was the longest. He smiled so easily, carefree and relaxed sometimes, mischievous others, or sometimes on rare days like this they were at peace. 

Seto couldn’t help but stare at him. It was moments like this when the Nephilim took his breath away. He really did look divine. He reached out and took Joey’s hand giving it a light squeeze it felt like fire compared to his own cold hands. 

“It is.” 


End file.
